Implication of running without MAF?

[GOB]

I have been having intermittent issues with my car stalling and I thought it was a bad MAF. Cleaned out the unit, as well as the connector and everything was fine for a while. Then the stalling became more frequent. Took it to the dealer and the diagnosis (post repair of the water pump) was a bad MAF. I was about to order a new one, when I realized that the connector to the MAF was not connected at all! :o Now I don't know if when they ran the PS2 test on the car the connector was plugged into the MAF or not. I also do not know what the effect of driving my car this way is (both at part throttle and WOT). Anyone know if I have done serious damage by running the car hard and the mixture not being right (too lean? too rich?). :huh:

[WARDHOG]

I have been having intermittent issues with my car stalling and I thought it was a bad MAF. Cleaned out the unit, as well as the connector and everything was fine for a while. Then the stalling became more frequent. Took it to the dealer and the diagnosis (post repair of the water pump) was a bad MAF. I was about to order a new one, when I realized that the connector to the MAF was not connected at all! :o Now I don't know if when they ran the PS2 test on the car the connector was plugged into the MAF or not. I also do not know what the effect of driving my car this way is (both at part throttle and WOT). Anyone know if I have done serious damage by running the car hard and the mixture not being right (too lean? too rich?). :huh:

I wouldn't worry about any damage to the car because IIRC, the car defaults to a rich mixture if the MAF is out. How does it run now after you plugged the connector back on? If it runs a little rough, drive it for a few miles to allow the DME/ECU to re-map itself to compensate for having a MAF back in the system loop.

Edited October 30, 2007 by WARDHOG

[White987S]

Your gas mileage is gonna suck!

[GOB]

Thanks guys. After plugging the harness back in, the car is actually a tad smoother when it comes to idle. I let it warm up properly, then I took it out on the highway for a 30 minute "spirited" :P drive. Some partial throttle, some cruising, and a few blasts to 130mph or so too :rolleyes: :D And yes, I was very careful in doing so (toll road with very few cars on it). No more shutting off in the highway as I put it in neutral (talk about a scare at high speed :o ). Seems to run fine now and perhaps I had not driven it that way in a while, but I do not recall this car pulling so strong in 5th gear. Did a proper 10 minute "cool down" driving and parked it. Lets hope that was the problem, although I am not too confident that this disconnected harness was the issue (see this thread: http://www.renntech.org/forums/index.php?s...c=12878&hl= )

:renntech: